Rack.



E. C. BEAUMONT & W. P. HAMMOND.

RACK.

APPLICATION MEDIUM-213.1914.

Patented June 6, 1916.

' WTA/ESSE w ran STATES PATENT oF ERNEST C. BEAUMONT, OF REVERE, AND WILLIAM PARKER HAMMOND, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINE-RY COMPANY, OF PATER- SON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed. June 13, 1914. Serial No. 844,954.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST G. BEAU- MONT and WVILLIAM P. HAMMOND, citizens of the United States, residing at Revere, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, and Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, respectively, have invented certain Improvements in Racks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawing indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to racks or trucks of the character used to convey heavy articles from one place to another and will be herein disclosed as embodied in a rack designed particularly for handling packing cases and similar articles.

The invention has among its objects to devise a rack of this character with which a workman can conveniently lift, dump, or

transport a case; which will support the case in convenient position to enable the workman to fill or empty the same; which,

while substantial and serviceable, can be economically manufactured; and which can be conveniently knocked down for shlpment.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an angular view of a rack constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the rack illustrated in Fig. 1 when in position to lift a packing case or similar article; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the rack sustaining the case in an inclined position; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but showing the rack in its dumping position.

Referring now to the drawings the rack shown comprises a base frame consisting of two parallel base rails 1 and 2 and a pair of cross braces 3* that hold the rails in properly spaced relationship. These rails are continued at one end of the rack to form upwardly inclined end pieces 3 and 4 re-- side rail 14 similarly connected to the members 4 and 10 and a frame consistingof two longitudinally extending bars 16 and three cross members 17, 18 and 19 all riveted to-' gether. The member 19 preferably is provided with a lifting flange 20 projecting.

along the end edge of the rack at right angles to its top and this member andthe part 19 may conveniently consist of a piece of angle iron, the flanges of which form the respective members 19 and 20. The sides of the rack are braced by stay rods or strips 22.

The rack is mounted on four casters or wheels 24 of any convenient form, these cas ters being secured to the base rails 1 and 2 and a layer of some yielding material such as felt or leather preferably being interposed between the base rail and each caster to reduce the liability of breaking the casters.

In order to enable the rack to be collapsed or knocked down for shipping purposes, it is made in sections consisting of two side frames and a top frame. One of these side frames includes the parts 2, 4, 8, 10, 14 and one set of braces 22, all these parts being riveted securely together, while the opposite side frame comprises the corresponding parts on the other side of the rack. The three pairs of cross braces 2, 6 and 12, are removably secured to these opposite side frames by bolts and the top frame including the parts 16, 17, 18 and 19 also is removably secured to the side frames by means of bolts. Consequently when the bolts are removed the three sets of cross braces and the top frame may be removed from the rack, the two side frames may be packed together and the top frame and braces may then be packed on the side frames, thus making a relatively compact bundle for shipment.

The members 2, 4, 8 and 10 of one side frame and the corresponding members 1,

3, 7 and 9 of the opposite side frame preferably are each formed from one piece of angle iron by notching one flange of the angle iron at the proper points as indicated at 26 in the drawings, bending the iron to make the desired angle and then securing a short link 28 to the parts of the flange at opposite ends of each notch by means of rivets to hold the parts in their bent positions. The side members 13 and 14 also are preferably made of angle iron.

It is desirable in handling packing cases or similar articles to have a rack so constructed that it will lift the case easily, will support the case in an inclined position for packing or unpacking and will allow the case to be dumped easily. In the rack shown, the topand base frames are substantially parallel and'thecasters'24 support the rack in a substantially horizontal position which is the natural position for carrying articles from one place to another. The end frame which includes the members 9 and 10 extends downwardly at substantially right angles to the top of the rack and is adapted to support the rack in an upright position as indicated in Fig. 2. In this position the lifting flange 20 is at or close to the floor so that by tipping the packing case C slightly the flange can be run under the edge of the case. The case and rack can then be tipped about the corner 15, see Figs. 1 and. 2, as a fulcrum until the rack rests on the inclined end frame members 7 and 8. This part of the end frame extends at an angle of about 45 to the plane of the base frame and consequently will support the rack in the inclined position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 with the base and the top frames lying at an inclination of substantially 45. The lifting flange 20 will prevent the case or other article supported on the top of the rack from sliding off while the rack rests in this position.

It is convenient to support cases in an in clined position while packing them with covered cartons containing comparatively heavy articles, such, for instance, as shoes. As is well known, the cartons, each containing a pair of shoes, are placed on end in these cases. If the cases are placed horizontally, the cartons are thus placed vertically, and the shoes contained in them tend to push off the covers and to fall out, interrupting the packing operation. By supporting the cases at an inclination, on the contrary, the force of gravity is utilized to retain the shoes in the bottoms of their cartons, thus expediting the packing of the cases.

If the case is merely to be carried from one place to another it may be conveniently dumped by lifting the end of the rack opposite tothe end members 3 and 4 thus tipping it into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 and allowing the packing case to slide or tip off the rack. In this position the rack rests on the end members 3 and 4 which are shorter than the opposite end members and are inclined oppositely to the end members 7 and 8 at an angle of about 60 to the plane of the base frame. Obviously the case also could be dumped by tipping the rack into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2.

Attention is called to the fact that the casters 24 are secured in such positions on the base frame 2 that when the rack is resting on either of its inclined end frames 4 or 8 the casters adjacent to that. end will aid the end frame in supporting the rack. In other words, the peripheries of the pair of casters adjacent to either end lie substantially in the plane of the supporting surface of that end.

It is obvious that only slight modifications in this rack would be necessary to enable it to handle barrels and similar articles.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, casters supporting said frame, a top frame longer than said base frame and end framesconnecting said base and top frames, one of said end frames being constructed to support said rack with the base frame either in an upright or an inclined position.

2. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, casters supporting said frame, a top frame longer than said base frame but substantially parallel therewith, end frames connecting said base and top frames, one of said end frames" being constructed to support said rack with the base frame either in an upright or an inclined position, and a lifting flange located substantially at the junction of the top frame with the last mentioned end frame.

3. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, casters supporting said frame, a top frame longer than said base frame but substantially parallel therewith, an inclined frame at one end of the rack connecting said base and top frames, a frame at the opposite endof said rack connecting the top and base frames and shaped to support said rack with its base either in an upright or an inclined position, and a lifting flange at the end of said' top frame adjacent to the last named end frame of the rack.

4. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, opposite end frames of unequal length connected to said base frame, arranged to support the contents of the rack in an inclined position and to facilitate dumpingsaid contents, respectively, and inclined upwardly away from each other, a top frame supported by said end frames, and casterssupporting said'base frame.

5. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, opposite end frames connected to said base frame, and inclined upwardly away from each other at different angles, for supporting said rack in an inclined position and to facilitate dumping the contents of said rack, respectively, a top frame supported by said end frames and casters supporting said base frame.

6. In a rack of the character described, a base frame, a top frame longer than said base frame and substantially parallel thereto, opposite end frames connecting said base and top frames, one of said end frames having a portion extending downwardly fro-m said top frame at substantially right angles thereto adapted to support said rack in an upright position, and another portion extending diagonally from the first mentioned portion to the end of the base frame and adapted to support said rack in an inclined position, the opposite end frame being inclined in a direction opposite to and at a greater angle to the base frame than the inclined portion of the first mentioned end frame, casters secured to said base frame and arranged to support said rack normally in a substantially horizontal position, and a lifting flange at the end of said top frame adjacent to said right angled portion of one of the end frames.

. 7. In a rack of the character described, a

base frame, casters supporting said frame,

a top frame substantially parallel to said baseframe, an end frame connecting said base and top frames and constructed to support said rack with said top frame either in an upright or an inclined position, and means for preventing an article supported on said top frame from sliding off the rack when it is supported in said inclined position.

8. In a rack of the character described, two opposite side frames, cross braces and a top frame connecting said side frames and holding them in spaced relationship, said braces and top frame being removably secured to said side frames whereby, when the braces and top frame are removed, the rack may be collapsed.

In testimony whereof I, the said ERNEST C. BEAUMO T, have signed my name to this specification in the presence of'two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST C. BEAUMONT. Witnesses:

CLARENcE H. YOUNG, JOHN C. CowAN.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM P. HAMMOND, have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM PARKER HAMMOND. Witnesses:

CLARENCE H. YOUNG, 7 JOHN G. OOWAN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents.

Washington, D. G. I 

